Motorola's Xoom Android tablet is now available, but how is it selling? Not so well, according to the number crunchers at Deutsche Bank, who've estimated that the Honeycomb device has shifted 100,000 units so far.
The company based its estimate on Google's own Android developer website, where it gives out percentages for the installation share of the various versions of Android. That chart says 0.2 per cent of users are on the Android 3.0 Honeycomb version, which has so far only been available on the Xoom.
That means -- here's the maths part -- that Deutsche Bank thinks 0.2 per cent of Android users is equivalent to 100,000 people, which means in turn that the analysts there reckon there are 50 million Android devices out in the wild. That's a smaller number than we might have predicted.
The figures have been seized on by numerous sites and blogs to suggest that the Xoom is already a sales flop. Boy Genius Report has a good take on why this may not be the case though.
As Boy Genius Report says, "In an unproven market that is barely a year old, we're looking at a brand new device that is selling at a rate of 75,000 units per month. We're looking at a brand new device with a brand new operating system that is the first version of Android to address the tablet market. We're looking at a brand new device that has likely pulled in more than $70m in hardware sales. We're looking at a brand new device that will also be responsible for millions of dollars each month in revenue for carriers and developers. But it's a flop?"
Well, you know how quick people are to judge nowadays. The Xoom, of course, is only just going on sale outside the US, so plenty more will be strolling off the shelves in the weeks ahead. That's when the real proof will emerge as to whether the Xoom is a hit or miss on Motorola's part.
One thing that might help is cutting its price. That's what online UK retailer Dixons has done, writing to people who have pre-ordered the Xoom to tell them that it will now cost £479.99, rather than £499.99. Everyone who has already pre-ordered from Dixons will get a £20 refund directly to their card.
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Comments 6
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Anonymous 7 April, 2011 17:10
Certainly in the UK i think that the problem is the brand name. If your talking about your new device down the pub and you mention it's made by Motorola people will just laugh no matter how good it actually is....sad i know but it's the truth. It's amazing how much a brand name has an influence when buying a product for some people. They would go a long way to re-brand themselves, something they should have done a while back in my opinion.
anonymous 7 April, 2011 17:31
seems at the moment the buzz brands are HTC & Samsung when it comes to Android, I know someone who has a Galaxy Tab, and everyone who has seen it thinks its great. There is hope for Android here, but maybe Moto was the wrong way to go...
Seems to be lacking on Google's part as well, no apps compared to the iPad and they need to be careful, HP will bring the Touchpad to the market, and if anyone honestly thinks that HP will mess this up, think again. They could very quickly but Android in the shade with some lovely hardware.... if they ever get it to Market inside of a calendar year...
*sigh*
anonymous 7 April, 2011 17:40
The vast majority of people don't care that much about hardware. what people care about is the experience. The iPhone has developed reputation of being a great, fun to use, cool device. The iPad is benefiting from this by using the same software experience.
The problem is, android seems to have cultivated an image of being the techy (and dare I say, geeky) software product. Ask the average person in the street what android is and they wont have a clue.
ace9988 7 April, 2011 18:10
these tablet makers have had alot of time to release these devices outside the US...they've been announced with the earliest ones since MWC back in February, and yet nothing yet. Apple came along with an updated product and just swiped everybody else off the floor even some who got tired of waiting for the android tablets
Companies like samsung have gone back to the drawing board, this buzz with honeycomb tablets has gone on for long enough.....just release em to the public already
Asus announced atleast 3 tablets...no sign of em,
moto xoom, after all the hype and build up...STILL no sign of it outside the US
Samsung galaxy tab, after the woeful 1st attempt i was actually interested in the 10.1....then the skinnier 10.1 and 8.9...and it goes on and on
Even i'm starting to go tired of waiting for what seems to be an unfinished honeycomb OS...otherwise why would google not release the source codes for android 3.0. Also the pitiful number of apps dedicated for honeycomb is like a shot in the other foot (the 1st one being that its not even out worldwide yet), its a shame after all this hype google and independant reviewers have put on behind honeycomb that the rest of the world is facing this delay for these tablets
Anonymous 7 April, 2011 19:07
Ace
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer is due for release in the UK within 2 weeks along with the Acer Iconia and the xoom. Samsung Galaxy tab rumoured for next month.
As for dedicated apps. As a developer who is developing apps for Honeycomb there are 2 issues. 1 why release a product into a small market when you know its set to grow, 2 no tablet means no testing. By Mid May I'd estimate there'll be thousands of apps for Honeycomb.
Back to original topic. The Xoom will suffer in UK due to its price. The Asus offering has pretty much same spec, the usp of the docking station and a cheaper price. I was all set to buy the Xoom until Asus made their announcement of an April launch.
ace9988 7 April, 2011 23:47
Asus and all the other companies had enough time to release it....since apple launched the original ipad a year now and they've released another one and these devices havnt been released yet to even catch up to the sales of the ipad 2 (as much as i hate apple those are the facts)
asus eee pad transformer is due to release in 2 weeks...but it was announced at MWC back on the valentines day weekend...its coming upto 2 months now and then they release it...while apple has stolen the market from them (roughly 2.5 million ipad 2 sold worldwide right now)...lets face it they messed up the timing VERY BADLY.
the xoom will suffer because of it's price, so will the other tablets if they are priced more than the ipad 2 at £399
ps: there needs to be another tablet processor...because graphically the nvidia tegra 2 is suffering to the ipad's a5 as much as it hurts to say